Help!! I think coco is sick! ???

Crystallynda

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
689
Location (City and/or State)
Las Vegas
Yes, please take more in the morning. Take them from different angles, from the side, showing the eye itself. Try to move in a bit closer if you can. That will help a lot.

It looks like the eye itself is OK. The swelling is above the eye.

I don't know how this could be the coco coir.

Does it seem like this bothers him? Does he rub his eyes with his arms? Does the eye ever look red, sore, swollen? Does he keep them open, other than sleeping? All these questions are for now...not a week ago. Just in the past 3 days.
I catch him rubbing his his eyes from time to time! At least once a day!!
 

Crystallynda

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
689
Location (City and/or State)
Las Vegas
There are, but vets don't know any more than we do about tortoise care, and most of them will do harm with things like "vitamin injections" or unnecessary antibiotics. I'd bet money that a vet would diagnose this as a possible vitamin A deficiency and give your tort a vitamin A shot. Vitamin A is sometimes an aquatic turtle problem. Tort diets are already high in vitamin A typically.

There is no semester on tortoise care in vet school.

I would get yourself a regular incandescent bulb and swap it out with that bulb you found. This is the most obvious variable to check.
Then I’ll have to buy the 12 from home Home Depot because they don’t sell them in the store anymore ??

Unless I can go somewhere else for it? Would Lowe’s have it????
 

Crystallynda

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
689
Location (City and/or State)
Las Vegas
Ok he might have a little bit of a respiratory infection ??

Cause I saw it come out from his noise!

What do I need to do so it can go away?

????
 

Yossarian

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
Messages
813
Location (City and/or State)
Wales
Frustrating that he still has puffy eyes. Other than the light the only thing I could think is that he might be getting little bits of coco in and around his eyes causing irritation. If the tort has never been on it before there might be a learning curve. Other than changing that light though, I would be a little patient with this, it might just need a few days to clear.
 

Tortisedonk7

Active Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2020
Messages
189
Location (City and/or State)
Indonesia
Your coco coir substrate looks to dry. If that gauge is actuate than 41% humidity is too low. Try keeping it damp to reduce dust and increase humidity. You might also want to try a layer of orchid bark on top of the coco coir this would help keep the dust and the mess down so it doesn’t get in the eyes. Be sure to rinse the bark first to remove any debris or dust.

Hmm...

Ok!

@Tom what you think?

I agree. Those plastic things could be off gassing under the hot light. I would get rid of all the plastic and find something else.

this is the main reason I don’t use plastic for my tortie.
Good luck.
 

Crystallynda

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
689
Location (City and/or State)
Las Vegas
Frustrating that he still has puffy eyes. Other than the light the only thing I could think is that he might be getting little bits of coco in and around his eyes causing irritation. If the tort has never been on it before there might be a learning curve. Other than changing that light though, I would be a little patient with this, it might just need a few days to clear.
????

I was starting to think that too!

Especially since before he was on sand and his bedding was like ripped shirts and small hand towels! What’s odd tho..when I was cleaning abs fixing his enclosure last week..I put him on my bed and he crawled into my soft cover and barried himself in and fell asleep!!

So now that I’m doing the necessary changes it can explain some things!

I’m trying not to worry to much..but one think that has me more on edge is his nose!!
 

Crystallynda

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
689
Location (City and/or State)
Las Vegas
Your coco coir substrate looks to dry. If that gauge is actuate than 41% humidity is too low. Try keeping it damp to reduce dust and increase humidity. You might also want to try a layer of orchid bark on top of the coco coir this would help keep the dust and the mess down so it doesn’t get in the eyes. Be sure to rinse the bark first to remove any debris or dust.

Ok I just bought the mulch is that alright?

I didn’t damp his enclosure because it was to wet at one point but I’ll do that once I get back! ??


I agree. Those plastic things could be off gassing under the hot light. I would get rid of all the plastic and find something else.

this is the main reason I don’t use plastic for my tortie.
Good luck.
I’ll be on the lookout for a clay pot instead!
I honestly think it’s that..not necessarily the light because he would of had puffy eyes since I put the light in! It wasn’t till he started to use the green thing to sleep is when I really started to notice!

???
 

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,386
This is what I could get without me moving him or grabbing him!!
Bulging eyes like that in humans are a sign of hyperthyroidism. I think that condition is rare in tortoises, however, so I would think something else is causing this trouble.

If I were you, I would attempt to get some veterinary ophthalmic drops from a vet (you may have to take the tortoise for an appt. to get them) and put those drops into both eyes and both nostrils twice a day for about ten days. This will also help the beginning respiratory problem you noticed, by the way. The drops you need are called Neo-Poly_Dex Opthalmic drops. They should help your tortoise quite a bit.

If you have a good relationship with a vet you use for other animals, you may be able to get these drops without the need to make an appointment for the tortoise. I am not a vet, but I have been a dentist for 50 years and have been keeping and breeding tortoises for over 60 years, so I have some experience with these things.
 

Crystallynda

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
689
Location (City and/or State)
Las Vegas
Bulging eyes like that in humans are a sign of hyperthyroidism. I think that condition is rare in tortoises, however, so I would think something else is causing this trouble.

If I were you, I would attempt to get some veterinary ophthalmic drops from a vet (you may have to take the tortoise for an appt. to get them) and put those drops into both eyes and both nostrils twice a day for about ten days. This will also help the beginning respiratory problem you noticed, by the way. The drops you need are called Neo-Poly_Dex Opthalmic drops. They should help your tortoise quite a bit.

If you have a good relationship with a vet you use for other animals, you may be able to get these drops without the need to make an appointment for the tortoise. I am not a vet, but I have been a dentist for 50 years and have been keeping and breeding tortoises for over 60 years, so I have some experience with these things.
Thank you so much...let me see if I can get some drops from my vet back home!!

???

I appreciate that you reached out to me!!!
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
This is what I could get without me moving him or grabbing him!!

View attachment 316168View attachment 316169View attachment 316170


I still think the green plastic is being warmed up by the light and off gassing an eye irritant. You need to make the changes we suggest one at a time with a few days in between changes. Otherwise you'll never know which change made his eyes better.

In the meantime, until you can find what's causing it, you can buy this online:

eye ointment b.jpg
 

Crystallynda

Active Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2021
Messages
689
Location (City and/or State)
Las Vegas
I still think the green plastic is being warmed up by the light and off gassing an eye irritant. You need to make the changes we suggest one at a time with a few days in between changes. Otherwise you'll never know which change made his eyes better.

In the meantime, until you can find what's causing it, you can buy this online:

View attachment 316178
I can barely see the name on my end..can you spell it out for me please?? ??
 
Top